Pipe coupling or connection.



Patented Sept. l9, I899.

C. LUKE.

PIPE COUPLING OR CONNECTION.

(Application filed Oct. 29, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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CHARLES LUKE, OF MILFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE NEW HAVEN NOVELTY MACHINE COMPANY, OF NETV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

PIPE COUPLING OR CONNECTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 633,324:, dated September 19, 1899.

Application filed October 29, 1898. Serial No. 694,872. (No model.) i

T whom it Z/ concern! threads being of the same pitch as the part Be it known that I, CHARLES LUKE, of Milof the plug in engagement with the screw= ford,county of'New Haven, State of Connectithreads of the collar, cuts its way into the out, have invented an Improvement in Pipe interior of the pipe, making a matching Couplings or Connections, of which the folthread.

lowing description, in connection with the ac- Were it not for the fact that the screwcompanying drawings, is a specification, like threads on the plug were of substantially the letters on the drawings representing like same pitch it will be seen that the entrance parts. of the tapered seren -threaded end of the plug xo This invention has for its object the prointo the pipe would strip from the interior of duction of a novel pipe coupling or connec the lead pipe aportion thereof and would not tion, it being more especially adapted for use make a well-defined screw-thread in which in connection with lead pipes, but it may be the screw-threads of the plug might enter used with other ductile or metal pipes. and lit, making a substantially gas and fluid I5 Heretofore in the use of lead pipe in contight joint. nection with gas-meters, washbowls, closets, The threaded part of the plug of greatest bath-tubs, pumps, sinks, and other places diameter is provided with a series of longiwhere lead pipe is commonly used to afford a tudinal slots, thus separating that threaded passage-way for gas, water, or other fluids it part into a series of threaded projections, the

20 has been common to insert into the end of threads of the projections engaging the intethe lead pipe a metallic collar, which is rior threads of the collar. secured therein by soft or other solder, and a The end of the plug most remote of the joint so made is finished exteriorly to conpipe has a radially-extended collar, and there stitute what is called a wipe-joint. I have is an annular space between the upper ends 25 devised a coupling or connection for lead of the projections referred to and the under pipe which may be quickly and easily applied side of said collar, said space receiving loosely by any one without the employment of solder a threaded ring, it constituting a running or skilled labor. screw connection capableof being screwed One part of my coupling consists of a colupon any usual stationary threaded projec- 3o lar adapted to be applied to the exterior of tion, as-of a gas1neter, washbowl, bath-tub, 8c the lead or other ductile pipe at one end sink, pump, or to any other member of a thereof, said collar having preferably intecoupling or other device or article into which rior threads or projections near one end, the to pass water or any other fluid. The runend of the pipe meeting substantially the inning ring referred to has an inturned flange 35 ner end of the threaded part of the collar, the at one end, which has as many notches as other part of my coupling consisting of a holthere are spaces between the screw-threaded low plug presenting external screw-threaded projections of the portion of the plug of greatportions of dilferent diameter, the end of the est diameter or the portion of the plug which plug of smaller diameter being tapered, the engages the screw-threads of the collar, said 0 threads on the plug being substantially all of ring being put into position by sliding it onto the same pit-ch. Having applied the collar the plug from its tapered end, the notches of to the end of the pipe and put said end against the ring embracing and sliding over the prothe inner end of the screw-threaded part of jections referred to as the ring is put into the collarI insert the tapered end of the plug working position to do its part in effecting 5 in the collar and enter the same in the open the coupling or connection of the lead pipe end of the pipe, and in this position the attached to'it with its cooperating male memthreaded part of the plug of greater diameter her. As the threaded projections are being engages the threaded part of the collar, and screwed into the threads of the collar and the as the plug is rotated to screw it into the colthreaded end of the plug is cutting its way 50 lar the threaded tapered end of the plug, its uniformly and making in the lead pipe a mat- Ice spectively an upper end, a side elevation, and

ing thread, it results that the ends of the threaded projections finally meet the end of the lead pipe and hammer or beat and smooth it down, turning the pipe somewhat outwardly, and the thread of the plug embeds itself firmlyin the soft metal of the pipe, making simply by a mechanical action a gas and fluid tight joint. It will also be noticed that the hole through the plug is of substantially or nearly the full diameter of the in-- terior of the lead pipe, so by the use of a coupling of the kind herein referred to it is possible to get a larger quantity of gas or fluid through the bore of the pipe than by the use of a coupling having a sleeve which enters the open end of the pipe and leaves the end of the sleeve to form an abutmentor shoulder, decreasing the elteetive diameter of the inner bore of the pipe.

Figure l of the drawings represents in section a piece of lead pipe with the female part of my improved connection applied thereto. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are respectively anupper end, a side elevation, and a lower end view of the hollow plug. Figs. 5, (5, and 7 are rea lower end view of the running ring. Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively anupper end view and a side elevation of the collar. Fig. 10 shows a hollow mating plug adapted to be used, if desired, in another piece of pipe as, for instance, should it be desired to join two pieces of lead pipe. Fig. 11 shows a threaded projection, such as commonly extended from a gas-meter, to which the running ring may be readily attached.

The pipe a, of lead, or it may be of any other ductile metal, has applied to it externally near its end a collar 1). The collar may have at its interior beyond the end of said pipe. a screw-threaded portion Z), and the interior of this collar from the lower ends of the screwthread to its extremity may be somewhat tapered, as at b Fig. 1, and cooperatingwith this collar and adapted to enter the pipe surrounded by the collar and clamp the pipe firmly is a plug 0, provided at its inner end with a tapered screw-threaded portion 0 and near the central part of the plug there is a portion 0 of greater diameter, its thread being of substantially the same pitch as the thread on the portion 0', the portion of larger diameter being herein shown as provided with a series of longitudinal slots to leave a series of projections, each threaded, as at 0 the projections being terminated by shoulders 0 The plug at one end of these projections has a smooth portion 0, next which is a flange c.

The plug 0 has a projecting end 0 on which in practice will be laid a packing-ring, it being used when the joint made by the coupling is etfeeted. Surrounding the plug between the collar c and the projection c is a loose or running ring d, it having internal screw-threads d and an inturned flange (1 said flange (see Figs. 5 and '7) being cut away or notched, as at (Z a notch for each projection 0 the notches being substantially wide enough to enable the ring to be slipped over the threaded end of the plug and then over the projections and come into working position underneath the flange c. The inner portions (Z of the flange left at the sides of the said projections run on the part c of the plug between the said flange and the ends of the projections 0 To combine operatively the parts so far described, the end of the pipe will be inserted in the collar up substantially to the lowermost round of threads I) therein, and then the hollow plug having the loose running ring (1 upon it will have its tapered end inserted into the open end of the collar, the end of the plug meeting the pipe, and the threaded portion a of greatest diameter will have its screw-threads c engaged with the threads I) of the collar and the plug will be turned, the screwing of the threaded part of greatest diameter into the threaded part of the collar forcing the screw-threaded end c of the plug into the end of the body, said threads cutting their way into the soft or ductile material of the pipe and making a preferred matching and mating thread, the plug somewhat expanding and stretching the pipe, so that the latter fits snugly the tapered interior L of the collar 1). As the hollow plug comes into its working position (represented in Fig. 1) the tapered ends of the projections 0 meet one after the other the end of the pipe, and said projections act with a hammer-like effeet to beat down and smooth the end of the pipe, and owing to the threads 0 and 0 being of substantially the same pitch truly-formed leaden threads are formed at the interior of the pipe.

It will be understood that if the threads 0 and 0 were of ditferent pitch the screwthreads could not be formed at the interior of the lead pipe, but the lead would be stripped from the interior of the pipe as the threaded part of the plug was being screwed into it.

Fig. 11 shows a threaded, so called, male member 6, such as commonly attached to a gas-meter, it receiving the threads of the running ring (1.

Fig. 10 shows a modified hollow mating plug 0, having the threaded parts a and c to operate as described already of the parts 0 and c in Fig. 1, and beyond the projections having the threaded part 0 there is a threaded male part c. The hollow screwplug represented in Fig. 10 may be inserted as described of the plug 0 in the end of a piece of pipe which it is desired to couple with the pipe a, and the running ringd may be screwed readily upon the threaded portion e, thus making an effective-pipe-coupling. I

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the plug 0 is surrounded externally at two different points between its ends with screw-threads c and a said screwthreads being on parts of the plug of two different diameters, the part of theplug having the series of screw-threads 0 being tapered toward the inner end of the plug, the screwthreads 0 being on a part of the plug of larger diameter, so that there is left between said series of threads a shoulder 0 which meets the extremity of the pipe, the tapered screwthreaded part expanding the pipe asit cuts its way into the same While the threaded part c is being screwed into the threaded interior of the collar 1). This collar is contracted at its interior toward its unthreaded end, so that the interior diameter of the unthreaded end of the collar is less than at the interior of the screw-threaded end thereof.

I believe that I am the first to provide a plug, with a double series of screw-threads, said threads being located externally on parts of the plug of difierent diameter, one of said series of screw-threadsviz., the one entering the lead pipepresenting a tapered exterior, so that said screw-threads gradually cut their way into the lead pipe and some what expand the same, the other series of screw-threads entering the screw-threaded part of a surrounded collar, and so, also, I am the first to employa double set of screwthreads of the same pitch on the exterior of a coupling made as a plug, one of said threads entering an exterior collar, the other cutting its way into the interior of the pipe which is to be clamped and held at its end firmly between the plug and said exterior collar.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a pipe coupling or connection, a collar having a screw-thread, a hollow plug having at one end a screw-threaded portion and beyond said threaded portion a series of threaded projections and an annular flange, the end of the threaded portion entering the open end of the pipe, the thread of the threaded pro jection engaging the screw-threads of the collar, and a running ring cooperating with the threaded plug behind said flange, substantially as described.

2. In a pipe coupling or connection,a threaded running ring, an outside collar having an interior screw-thread at or near one end and tapered internally from the said screw-thread toward its opposite end, a hollow plug having at one end a screw-threaded portion, and beyond said threaded portion a series of threaded projections, and an annular flange,'the end of the threaded portion enteringthe open end of the pipe, the threads of the threaded projections engaging the screw-thread of the col lar, said ring running on said plug behind said flange, substantially as described.

3. In a pipe coupling or connection, a collar having a screw-thread, a hollow plug having at one end a screw-threaded portion and next thereto a series of threaded projections, and beyond said projections a flange, and a threaded ringhaving notches and applied to said hollow plug, the notches of the ring sliding over the said projections in coming into position against said flange, the threads of the projections entering the threads of the collar while the threaded portion of the end of the plug cuts its way into the interior of the pipe, substantially as described.

4. In a coupling for lead pipe, an external collar provided at one end with an interior screw-thread, the interior of said collar being tapered from said screw-thread to its opposite end, and a hollow plug provided with two sets of external screw-threads of substantially the same pitch made on parts of said plug of different diameter, the endmost series of screwthreads being on the part of said hub of least diameter said part being tapered, the thread being adapted to cut its way into the interior of the lead pipe, the plug having a shoulder between the two series of screw-threads to contact with the end of the pipe, the screw threads of greatest diameter entering the screw-threads of the collar, substantially as described.

5. In a coupling for lead pipe, an external collar provided at one end with an interior screw-thread, the interior of said collar being tapered from said screw-thread to its opposite end, and a hollow plug provided with two sets of screw-threads of substantially the same pitch, one made on a tapering part of said plug and the other on a cylindrical part of said plug, the threaded cylindrical part of plug being of greater diameter than the threaded part of the plug, a shoulder being left between the said two series of screw threads vto abut against the end of the pipe when the tapered threads are screwed into the pipe and the cylindrical threads are screwed into threads of the surrounding collar, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES LUKE.

\Vitnesses:

HENRY G THOMPSON, D. O. SMYTH. 

